best glow plugs for 2L-TE

[n0ferz]

I recently bought a LJ71 and would like to know what are the best glow plugs besides OEM that I can buy?

I bought a set of 4 HKT PT-151V (the 4 of them were $50USD)glow plugs but I have not installed them yet so I am trying to find something better before I proceed with the installation of the HKTs.

I was quoted $40USD per glow plug for the OEM ones in the dealership and I think that's too much? Maybe I can buy them online for less? Or is there another brand like NGK,BOSCH that I can order me a set of glow plugs and would be better than the HKTs in terms of durability and fuction?

 

[roscoFJ73]

Whats wrong with the HKTs? They will last as long as any other and they are also used as an OEM plug on some vehicles according to their blurb.
I had them on a 1HZ for 6 years and the HKTs were still going strong when I sold it.

Owners who have trouble with glow plugs usually do so because of the things that make them work not the plugs themselves.
If everything is ok,they should only need to work for 3 -15 seconds a day,or longer in extreme cold.

 

[n0ferz]

Sounds good, so I will install these and stop spending money lol. I am just having a little hard time starting the engine in the mornings and there is no cold at all here, temps here are 27-30C

Is cycling the glow plugs with the switch a good thing? I mean I open the switch wait for the glow plug light to come off, hear a click sound and then there is a buzz noise if I go back and start over the process is it better than letting the switch opened for a longer period??

 

[roscoFJ73]

Sounds good, so I will install these and stop spending money lol. I am just having a little hard time starting the engine in the mornings and there is no cold at all here, temps here are 27-30C

Is cycling the glow plugs with the switch a good thing? I mean I open the switch wait for the glow plug light to come off, hear a click sound and then there is a buzz noise if I go back and start over the process is it better than letting the switch opened for a longer period??

Yes cycling them seems pretty normal for this engine(Ive never owned one) but at 27c+ the engine should jump into life without double glowing.
Which ever procedure gets the engine running quickest,but I think the plugs do keep glowing once the light is off.
But they may only be when the engine is running,many diesels keep glowing after it fires to help it run smooth

My 1HZ would fire with about 2-3 seconds and run smooth as honey

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Sounds good, so I will install these and stop spending money lol. I am just having a little hard time starting the engine in the mornings and there is no cold at all here, temps here are 27-30C

Is cycling the glow plugs with the switch a good thing? I mean I open the switch wait for the glow plug light to come off, hear a click sound and then there is a buzz noise if I go back and start over the process is it better than letting the switch opened for a longer period??

I was having to cycle my glow plugs 2-3 times recently to get a smooth start on my 2LTE, even in high ambient temps. I found this strange, as my plugs were pretty new and had been working fine with 1 cycle earlier in the year. Just yesterday I discovered a bad connection at my battery to the wire that goes to the glow circuit. A wing nut on a stud at the battery terminal had come loose. I tightened it up, and now the truck starts perfect with just 1 cycle again.

So, definitely check your glow circuit connections. Check the connection at the battery, and check the connection on the intake manifold. Clean up the connections with an abrasive to remove any oxidation.

You can remove the glow circuit strap from your glow plugs and test them with a ohm meter to make sure they are intact. There is no point in changing them if they have not failed. They should measure very low resistance. Although being that you have new plugs I suppose you could just change them all out anyhow.

Be careful when you remove the old ones, as the tips can break off in the pre-combustion chamber and are a big PITA to remove. This happened to me and I had to fabricate a special puller tool to remove the tips. If you find the plugs are tight when you remove them, slowly work them in/out a bit at a time rather than just torquing them hard to get them out in one go.

Good luck

 

[n0ferz]

Thanks for all your inputs guys, I will check everything and install the new ones and see how it goes!!

 

[n0ferz]

Also I believe that the glow plugs are not working perfectly because once I warm up the engine and start it later on the day, the engine starts faster and easier with just 1 cycle.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Also I believe that the glow plugs are not working perfectly because once I warm up the engine and start it later on the day, the engine starts faster and easier with just 1 cycle.

Once a diesel has been started,they stay warm most of the day(in warmer climes) and dont really need to glow again till they have cooled down.

 

[n0ferz]

Once a diesel has been started,they stay warm most of the day(in warmer climes) and dont really need to glow again till they have cooled down.

Roger that!

 

[n0ferz]

Well today I am very happy with my truck!!!

I replaced the glow plugs yesterday and I felt that the engine started faster but since it was hot I was not convinced yet that the change was worth it!

I tested the 4 old glow plugs and one of them was burnt I decided to replace the 4 of them since I already bought them.....so I said hopefully in the mornings it will be better to start the engine with all of them new!

So earlier today I went to start the engine, just gave it 1 cycle and bam the engine started right away without me having to rev it after it started and there was almost no black smoke after the engine started!!

If you feel that your engine is not firing fast enough please check your glow plugs maybe there is one or two burnt.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Right on! Good to hear.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Some of the glow plug brands are slower than others to glow.

In my experience the HKTs did not work well in this application and I switched to other brands. The part number that I have listed in my system as glowing too slowly to work with the factory glow system is the PT151 HKT plug.

Other options are to go with: Dreik or NGK. Both are Japanese made and I have had success with.


~John

 

[Radd Cruisers]

ALWAYS replace all 4 at one time with the same brand etc.

Mixing and matching does not work.

~John

 

[n0ferz]

Thanks John for your input, I did replace the 4 of them and I am really impressed with how fast the engine starts now!!

Looks like they are working perfectly for my application. I hope they last a good amount of time before I have to replace them again.